Need some help with this revolver...

S

SmithNut

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I think this is the right forum to post this as the gun in the pics shipped in Aug of 1919... :)

Was thinking of loading up this old shooter with some "at the limit" 38 Special +P+ rounds to see what it will do.

I've heard folks tell me there are issues with the gun, can you help me understand what those are? I know the front sights are original and gold medallion grips are numbered to the gun, but the rear sight is very hard to adjust with my Craftsman one-size-fits-all screwdriver.

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Would this be good for IDPA competitions....? Any recommendations for speed loaders?


P.S., please consider this a "Pre-April first" post....
 
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You might also consider reaming the chambers to take .357 magnum.:eek: I'm sure it'll handle it. :D They'll help loosen up and smooth that action even more. Don't know about IDPA, but pretty sure it would do well with 3 gun!

Seriously, that is a beauty, how about some of the gory details?? :)
 
You got it all with that one.

Pre War magnas, gold S&W logo service grips
Pre War grip adapter
Hump back hammer
Target sights

Beautiful Pre War revolver!!!!
 
I don't believe the hump back hammer is original, but I would not necessarily consider that an issue.

Bill
 
I think I would use those CTGs (just like the side of the barrel says) and call it good :) .
 
Nice humpback hammer, but it didn't come on the gun.

Nice Wesson grip adapter, but it didn't come on the gun.

Nice prewar magnas, but they didn't come on the gun.

Nice four inch barrel, but it may have been cut and the sight moved back.

It's a put-together piece, suitable only for cannibalization if you have other guns that need parts.

Sorry for the bad news, but you asked. If you want to use it for home defense, +P+ loads are just the ticket. And if you survive the experience, you will have even more parts to salvage from it without being put to the trouble of taking all the screws out to get to them.




OK, with that stuff out of the way, what is the real story here on this nice looking old target revolver from just after WWI?
 
OK - now - for the rest of the story

For the record, I did say: P.S., please consider this a "Pre-April first" post.... :)

And also for the record, for those that might remember, this gun has been posted here and discussed before, IIRC about 4-5 years back....


DCWilson said:
Sorry for the bad news, but you asked. If you want to use it for home defense, +P+ loads are just the ticket. And if you survive the experience, you will have even more parts to salvage from it without being put to the trouble of taking all the screws out to get to them.
Click to expand...

I actually liked the suggestion of drilling out the cylinder for .357 Mag, I'm into big booms....:D


DCWilson said:
It's a put-together piece, suitable only for cannibalization if you have other guns that need parts.........
Click to expand...

Yes it is.... My question about what was wrong was meant to get the answers you posted, hence the reason for posting the 1919 date.

The gun is/was a project. I wanted to put together (for me) the ultimate configuration of an M&P Target, Pre-War, Humpback, etc.,

The gun started out as a functionally perfect M&P Target, 6" barrel, rescued from a pawnshop.
Finish on the frame was nearly all gone, no pitting, my guess was that it had blood splattered on it at some point in it's history.
The factory letter did not indicate that it was special in any way (no unique person, place or ? with respect to where it went)
The standard service grips with Gold Medallions are numbered to the gun, and without the specified ship date should have given you serious collectors the right timeframe (as it did)
The pre-war style magnas are actually Keith Brown made, I supplied him the large pre-war medallions and he did his magic.
The humpback hammer was acquired in a trade with Handejector (Thanks Lee!)
The grip adapters were in my collection.
The current barrel is an original 4" from a standard pre-war M&P.
I had Dave Chicoine do his magic, he milled off the old fixed front sight and installed the original sight from the guns 6" barrel. installed the humpback hammer and smoothed the action, then re-blued the gun to the condition you see it in the pics.

It's the gun I was looking to create, it's certainly not a collectible and it's also certainly not a prospect for cannibalization in my lifetime, so I'm hoping that suggestion was made in the vane of my original intent, to have some fun.

Now, that's the rest of the story.....

Enjoy
 
Even though I didn't remember the earlier post, I could see what you were doing there. My reply was meant to be dry and droll in equal measure -- which it may have been, but with too much of each component to reveal the spirit in which I was replying.

I wondered if those might be KB magnas, but decided they must be lightly refinished prewars. My blunder.

Still, you have the first Pre-pre-pre Combat Masterpiece, even if you had to build it yourself. Nice one! :D
 
Besides your moniker, what was the giveaway is the color of the background. Its that
same piece of fabric that you used to photo some of my guns , years ago !

Maybe later today I'll post some pictures of a 5" Nickel .38 target from 1929. Guess all
I need is the humpback hammer, eh ?

Regards, Mike Priwer
 
DCWilson said:
Even though I didn't remember the earlier post, I could see what you were doing there. My reply was meant to be dry and droll in equal measure -- which it may have been, but with too much of each component to reveal the spirit in which I was replying.
Click to expand...

No worries David, I did enjoy your response, you got all the parts right!
Lifes good, have a great April 1....

DCWilson said:
Still, you have the first Pre-pre-pre Combat Masterpiece, even if you had to build it yourself. Nice one! :D
Click to expand...

I like that, it's better than describing it as a Model 15 with a minus 4 engineering change.

mikepriwer said:
Besides your moniker, what was the giveaway is the color of the background. Its that
same piece of fabric that you used to photo some of my guns , years ago !

Maybe later today I'll post some pictures of a 5" Nickel .38 target from 1929. Guess all
I need is the humpback hammer, eh ?

Regards, Mike Priwer
Click to expand...

Mike, you know me - have fabric - will travel...
While my photo skills are not up to some of the current posters fantastic efforts, my masquerading as a photographer has allowed me to see/hold/fondle some of your fantastic rare historical collectibles.....
When are we going to do it again? :)

BTW - let's see that 5" Nickel target!!!!!!
 
Robbie

If you "Have Car - Will Travel" , we can do it whenever you'd like !

In the spirit of your 4" target, here is another. This one was shipped to L P Castaldini,
a prominent member of the Springfield Revolver Club back in the day.

mikepriwer-albums-mlp7-picture9198-castaldini-4-inch-right-side.jpg


mikepriwer-albums-mlp7-picture9199-castaldini-4-inch-left-side.jpg


This next gun is an original 5" nickel .38 M&P target, shipped in 1929 to a jailer in
North Carolina. The finish shows some wear, BUT this is a very scarce gun. After
some thought, I think the pre-WW2 5" M&P targets, in any caliber, are the scarcest
guns around. They are practically non-existent.

mikepriwer-albums-mlp7-picture9197-5-inch-nickel-right-side.jpg


mikepriwer-albums-mlp7-picture9196-5-inch-nickel-left-side.jpg


And finally, just for old times sake, here is one of McGiverns 4" .38 targets that you
photographed several years ago. This gun was originally shipped to Montana Hardware
in 1907, and then reworked for McGivern in 1942. I assume that McGivern acquired it
sometime around the date on the sideplate.

mikepriwer-albums-mlp7-picture9200-mcgivern-4-inch-right-side.jpg


mikepriwer-albums-mlp7-picture9201-mcgivern-4-inch-left-side.jpg


I was thinking about including the 4" 1902 1st change .38 target that I got from you, shortly
after you got a letter on it, but then thought that perhaps you had seen enough of it !

Regards, Mike
 
Last edited:
Yep. Load those old ladies up with some +P+, get some rubber grips for them, and bugger up the screw heads so people understand you're quite the 'gunsmith'...then you'll really have something cool to show us ;) :p

Seriously, great old S&Ws guys.
 
Last edited:
Mike, was the Castaldini gun rebarreled at some point? It has the 1930s ejector rod shape on what appears to be a late 'teens frame.

All nice revolvers. Until today I don't recall even hearing about prewar five-inch M&P Targets, let alone ever seeing one.
 
Hi Rob. Long time, no see. Good to have you back here. Great Frankengun!:D

Bob
(I harbor some animosity ;) for Smithnut since he is responsible for my sickness. Back in 2003 he put me on my first big Smith, a Pre-Model 24, from the old Central Sporting Goods in Seattle.)
 
bettis1 said:
(I harbor some animosity ;) for Smithnut since he is responsible for my sickness. Back in 2003 he put me on my first big Smith, a Pre-Model 24, from the old Central Sporting Goods in Seattle.)
Click to expand...

Bob, I'm always here to help..... :)

Appreciate the comments.

BTW, Central is long gone, I think the building was even razed.... I should look the next time I venture downtown, I heard they were planning on a high rise there.
 
David

Here is one of the factory letters on the Castaldini gun.

mikepriwer-albums-mlp7-picture9203-castaldini-letter.jpg


It was a special order, and I do know that he was a friend of the factory. Its entirely
possible that he could have taken it back to the factory for whatever he thought it
needed, and they would have done what he wanted.

Regards, Mike
 
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